Teen Helps Inspire California To Pass Cuss Free Week in March

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. --

A South Pasadena teen who inspired a no-cussing measure says he's received bomb and death threats in response to his crusade to clean up dirty mouths.The California Assembly has passed a resolution that would establish the first week of March as Cuss Free Week throughout the state.The resolution by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Canada Flintridge, was approved on a voice vote Thursday and will be considered by the state Senate next week.McKay Hatch, who started a No Cussing Club at his junior high school in 2007, a movement that led to similar clubs in every state and 20 countries.Hatch traveled to Sacramento with his family to support the resolution. He sees a link between foul-mouthed incivility and other forms of problem behavior, such as drug use and bullying.However, the teen said that his efforts were received with hostility from the public."One day on Jan. 4, 2009, I think it was, we received 60,000 e-mails. And I was like, 'Sweet, that's pretty cool,'" Hatch said. "But actually what it was was a bunch of death threats of people trying to stop what I was doing and we actually had a couple bomb threats on our house."Hatch said because of those bomb threats, there is now a police car parked in front of his family's house."But I realize now they are bullies, and so I'm not going to let the bullies win," Hatch said.

However, Hatch said he's been getting positive support as well to his no-cussing club."We get a lot more support than we do death threats," Hatch said. "Really wants me to keep going."Hatch brought glass jars to the state Capitol Thursday, which he uses as a receptacles for change as penitence when people swear. He left one of those jars at the governor's office.The teen said he hopes legislatures in other states adopt similar resolutions on cussing.